Eyelid Surgeries: Canthal Tilt Correction
The canthal tilt refers to the angle between the medial canthus (inner corner of the eyes) and the lateral canthus (outer corner of the eye).
There are three types of canthal tilts.
Positive Canthal Tilt
A positive canthal tilt refers to where a person’s lateral canthus is between five to eight degrees above the medial canthus. A positive Canthal Tilt is a concept widely appreciated in the fashion industry as it gives the person a youthful appearance.
Neutral Canthal Tilt
A neutral canthal tilt occurs when there is no angle between the medial canthus and the lateral canthus. Instead of appearing youthful, a neutral canthal tilt may give people a tired appearance.
Negative Canthal Tilt
A negative canthal tilt is mostly seen on the facial features of older men and women. Lower collagen production may lead to sagging skin along the upper and lower eyelids. A negative canthal tilt gives a person a tired and sorrowful appearance.
Improving Canthal Tilt
While age, and reduced collagen production, do affect a person’s canthal tilt. However, there are also multiple factors to consider.
Here are some of the ways you can improve your canthal tilt and maintain your periorbital aesthetics.
- Avoid smoking. Smoking may reduce elasticity in your body’s tissue, including your lower lids. Loss of elasticity can lead to excess skin.
- Use sunscreen. Sun damage can also lead to a loss of elasticity on the upper eyelid or lower eyelid.
- Use an eye cream that promotes collagen production
- Undergo plastic surgery. One popular surgical procedure used to correct the inner and outer canthus is blepharoplasty, or what is called lateral canthoplasty.
Eyelid Surgery: Lateral Canthoplasty
Canthoplasty can effectively tighten saggy and loose skin on the lower lid and upper eyelid. This type of eyelid surgery can also be useful in patients who have previously had blepharoplasty who need revisional or reconstructive surgery.
This type of plastic surgery can also be combined with other eyelid and periocular surgeries, such as forehead lift and ptosis surgery.
